Hearts Stop Beating
by Homesick
Summary: This is the story of Edwards twin sister Juliette. While Carlisle tried to save her something went wrong while transforming and Carlisles venom did not make her a vampire..or at least..not entirely. But even half-vampires have enemies..
1. Juliette

**Hearts stop working**

_I looked besides me, for as far__ as the muscles of my eyes allowed me to. I was situated in the bed next to my twin brother's. Despite of the fact we were of the same age, he took care of me as if he was the oldest. Now he was dying, as well as I. Since a few days I knew what it was like to be an orphan, but it wasn't something I thought of on my death-bed. I would be reunited with my parents soon enough. The only thing human beings think about when dying is living. The doctor was young and honest, he knew as well as us that we were going to die. I found myself to be in the death room. A death room in 1918. Chicago. Reason: Spanish flu. He told my brother Edward he would help him. Besides the fact that he had already told us nobody could help us. What happened next, what I saw, I cannot remember. I don't remember anything from before my death. Or my failed rebirth. How it happened is another thing that's erased from my memory. I can feel what happened, I can remember some things by feelings. Feelings from my past life, my real life. What I am now is neither living nor dead._

_Edwards birth, his second one, was perfect. __Like it was supposed to be. Doctor Carlisle Cullen was careful an extremely talented. A talent that took centuries of discipline. At the point of my birth, something went wrong, terribly wrong. I believe I'm the only one. I'm a vampire, and still I'm something else. My brother doesn't eat like you humans do, he drinks blood. I need both food as well as blood. I feel the hunger for food, but it makes me sick. Our kind isn't supposed to eat. We drink blood, no human blood, animal blood. I've been seventeen for over a hundred years and I don't know how long it will go on. Normally our kind doesn't die by itself, it's a danger we do not know. Except for me. I get sick when my body suddenly comes to terms with the fact that it's been alive like this for over a century. I have a heart that beats, unlike my family. I do not have their strength, nor speed. The poison of the bite didn't come through enough to make me like them. My blood seemed to reject Carlisle's poison. I do share the gifts my brother has with music. I'm a danger to my family. My scent is human, although it's hardly noticeable. My blood is still human blood. For them I'd be a treat. At the beginning I had to lock myself away from them, trying not to tempt them. But my family are so-called vegetarians, and they managed to live with me. That's we way we try to live. _


	2. Running for Home

**Chapter 1 – Running for Home**

"Jules please!" I heard Edward banging on the door of the bathroom. His voice was calm, but yet forcing me to come out.

"Give me a moment please Ed." I said silently. My elbows rested on the marble besides the washbasin. My head hung between them. I got sick again.

"Are you alright?" he asked when he heard that I almost choked.

"I'm fine." I said while I opened the door as I was braiding my hair.

"Did you eat again?" he said, it sounded like a accusation.

"I can't help it." I looked into the eyes of my twin brother, they were exactly the same as mine.

"So, are you ready?" he grinned. It was anything but funny.

The past two weeks I was unable to go to school. Being a half-vampire sure brings some complications. This time I got sick because of the venom. Carlisle venom still lingers in my blood, like it's work isn't finished yet. He tried to figure out what went wrong but it took him more than 80 years to find out that I'm the only half-vampire left. The others died.

"Kind of." I said shortly. As we went down the stairs I saw Alice waiting at the front door. The keys of Edward's Volvo in her hand. She was just as small as me, what was kind of a relief with people like Emmett and Edward around.

"Good morning Alice." Edward said, his voice was soft and deep, he smiled.

"Morning." Apparently Alice was in a bad mood. "How are you Jules?" okay, it wasn't so bad. Otherwise she'd call me Juliette.

"I'm okay. Shall we go now?" I looked at Edward, he nodded while he took his keys.

"Juliette wait!" I looked behind me and saw Carlisle standing there with worried eyes.

"Yes?" I said with questioning eyes. He walked towards me as Alice and Edward walked to the car.

"How did you sleep tonight? Well I hope. Are you alright?" Carlisle still felt guilty for what I had become.

"Oh yes. I'm fine. Don't worry. And tell Esme not to worry as well. I can hear her thoughts from the kitchen as if she were screaming them."

School wasn't any different then two weeks ago. People didn't ask me questions, they never did. I knew they were talking about me, when I saw some pointing their fingers at me. They always did. I didn't mind. During lunch I went and sit with Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie had been gone for the weekend and would come back tonight. I saw that Edward was nowhere to be found. It was then when I saw him walk into the canteen with a girl. She was beautiful in my eyes. But we looked at thing differently. She looked different from the kids here. This was Isabella Swan. And I knew it was Isabella Swan because she was exactly like Edward had described her. None of the others looked their way. Jasper and Alice were having a conversation about the French Revolution, a subject of the history class they just followed. I saw my brother's face light up when he looked into her eyes. After that he quickly looked my way. I nodded with a soft smile and he did the same. Bella looked my way but I looked away. I don't know why I did it.

"Try not to eat Juliette." Alice said when I held an apple in my hand. I put the apple down angrily. I was hungry, the human kind.

"You'll get sick again." She said when I tried to eat it without her seeing it.

"Why Alice? Why do I get sick?" I asked, it was rhetorical question that came out because of my frustration. We didn't speak any longer. We never did at school.

After lunch I went to my classes, after mathematics I decided to walk home. I wasn't feeling well, again. Half way home something happened. The venom started to play with me again. It didn't always hurt. This time is just made me dizzy and I started to shake. I tried to reach Edward in my mind but soon I started to think he might be too far away. My legs couldn't carry my weight any longer so I sat down for a moment on the cold ground. The sky was grey and there was rain coming. Why did I had to go and walk? I stood up again and the moment I was on my legs again I fell down. I fell into what felt like a big black whole and couldn't get out of it.

The next thing I felt was a hand pulling shoulder. Suddenly I felt my face was wet from the rain. Everything was wet and it was still raining hard. I tried to open my eyes, it was harder then I remembered it to be.

"Hello?" I heard a strange voice. All I could do was cough as I tried to sit up.

"No, no. Maybe it's better if you stay…or maybe you should sit up." The voice corrected itself as I sat up anyways. I looked into two dark eyes, so brown there where almost black. His dark brown hair fell in front of his eyes as he looked down for a second and then back into my eyes. He was handsome, but that wasn't what attracted me..there was something..else.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I wondered how many times he asked me when I couldn't hear him.

"I guess." I said, I honestly did not know whether I was okay or not.

"What happened?" his voice was deep and soft, but I could hear some panic in it.

"Actually I don't know." I got up. "But I'm sure I'm fine. Thank you." He made me nervous and I didn't like the feeling.

"Bye." I said while walking away.

"Wait," the boy ran after me and turned me around. His touch made me shake.

"Where do you live? I'll bring you home. You can't go walking home when you've just passed out!" He walked towards a car expecting me to follow. I didn't.

"What's your name?" he asked. This boy did not make any sense, I couldn't help thinking. All the time I was trying to keep out of his head but I couldn't resist any longer.

"Juiliette." I answered calmly, he looked at me with a weird look and I guessed my eyes must have turned another color. I was right, he was wondering why my eyes seemed much darker then a few moments ago.

"I'm Caleb. Caleb Wade." He said while putting out his hand to shake mine. I didn't shake his hand, I wasn't comfortable with it. "Nice to meet you..Juiliette.." he waited for my last name.

"Cullen." I said. Something happened when I said my last name. Something I didn't expect to happen. He looked at me as if I said something wrong.

"Something's wrong?" I couldn't help but ask it. His mind was cloudy, too many thoughts for me to handle.

"Are you sure you can get home by yourself?" he asked, almost hopeful.

"Yes."

"Okay. Well I'll see you around." He walked to his car and drove away as fast as he could. I shook my head.

"Here you are." Edward didn't sound happy when he saw me standing on the sidewalk. He hung out of the window of his car.

"Get in." he demanded. I got in the car, the seat got wet from my clothes.

"What happened?" he asked. There was no point in lying.

"The venom." I said. He looked at me, his eyes full of worries.

"Are you okay now?"

"I think so."

"Well..let's get you home. Carlisle was worried." He tried to smile but it wasn't convincing.

"Let's do that." I said while staring out of the window thinking about Caleb Wade.


	3. Don't come near me

**Chapter 2 - Don't come near me**

I was in my room, reading a book, when I heard someone nock on my door.

"Come in." Edward walked into the room, his eyes were restless. He sat down on my bed, beside where my legs were.

"How are you?" he looked at me, demanding the truth.

"Why won't all of you ever stop asking me if how I am!" I tried to stay calm but my voice betrayed me and showed my frustration.

"Sorry. Who's Caleb Wade?" he asked. I looked away, out of the window. There was something about this Caleb Wade that made me feel uneasy.

"A boy. Obviously." My voice was sarcastic, Edward was the only one who could handle my sarcasm.

"Why are you scared of him?"

"Stop reading my mind Edward." I looked into his eyes. "You promised me." He nodded.

"I'm sorry. Again. I just don't want my sister to get hurt." He smiled at me, then looked at the book in my hands.

"Pride and Prejudice." I answered his unasked question. Edward knew me so well, that he could tell the way I felt by the book I read, or the music I was playing. It is said that Twins have a special connection, that special connection only got stronger after our transformation, or in my case the pathetic attempt to transformation. He nodded while frowning.

"How are things with you and Bella Swan?" I asked. I tried not to read his mind as much, in my opinion a person deserves some privacy at least in their heads. He looked away, out of the window. My view was incredible. The best view I had ever seen in my life, and I have seen a lot of views.

"She scares me." He said uneasy.

"Why?" I closed the book in my hands and put it away.

"The way she makes me feel scares me, Jules." He looked at me and for a moment I couldn't resist reading his thoughts.

"Are you in love with her?" I asked. He nodded, slowly, as if ashamed.

"I think I am. How can this be Jules?!" he stood up in frustration and walked towards the huge window.

"Well…I don't know. She's beautiful, but I don't know her Ed." As if I should know everything.

"I would like to get to know her." I said honestly. "Why don't you take her home sometime?"  
"What?" he laughed "That's ridiculous Jules!"

"Why? I think she would appreciate it. And I think Carlisle and Esme would very much like to meet her too."

"But.."

"You think we scare her?" I asked slowly, it was a possibility of course. "I don't think we do Edward. She's in love with you right?" He nodded. "Well, she has accepted what you are.."

"That's different." This time I shook my head.

"Edward, just do what your heart tells you to do. Not what your mind tells you..the mind is the problem." I smiled at him, satisfied with the fact he would think about what I said.

At night, when the world was sleeping, I would paint, read, sing or play the piano. This night my choice was the piano. My knowledge of music had grown over the past century and had turned me into a walking music encyclopedia. At the moment I was completely in love with the music of Yann Tiersen. At first his work was hard to play, but I figured out the complex structures soon enough.

The sun came up behind the clouds and it turned the world outside from night into day. A grey Saturday morning had arrived. Rosalie and Emmett would come home today from their trip.

"Good morning Jules." Edward walked into the living room, he was wearing the same clothes as the day before.

"And where have you been brother?" I asked amused, of course I knew where he had been. I felt his happiness and peace when he was with her.

"As if you do not already know." He grinned. "So are you up for some hunting today?" he asked. I shook my head. I didn't like hunting at all, I wasn't good at it and always needed help. And besides that, I didn't like killing.

"Not really." I answered after a while. My hand stopped touching the piano and I looked at him, stood up from the piano stool and walked towards the window.

"I don't feel like I need to hunt actually." I answered as casual as possible. I did feel the need of blood rushing through my body but I refused to answer it this time.

"I'm going to Port Angeles today, I'm in need of some new books."

"Shall I go with you?" at times like these, when he saw I was hungry but that I was too stubborn to admit it, he turned overprotective.

"That won't be necessary." I went upstairs to change my clothes and to get everything I needed.

I arrived at the bookstore at ten in the morning, it had just opened. I loved bookstores, the smell of the books, the silence, all those stories combined in a little room. The bookshelves reached to the ceiling and there were more books in this small room than you would think possible. When I was reading a page in a book I randomly picked out of the closet I heard a bell jingle. The sing someone else had entered the store. The sound was annoying as it broke the silence I cherished.  
I walked beside the closet, stroking the books with my fingers. Every now and then I found a book I did not read yet and I studied the first few pages. When I took another book I couldn't help feeling nervous, I became aware of someone looking at me. My eyes peered over the books and before I could prepare myself two dark eyes looked straight into mine. I was shocked as I gasped for air and looked away. I heard footsteps coming my way. I turned around and saw the body to which the eyes belonged.

"What a coincidence to meet you here." Said Caled Wade. His dark eyes narrowed as he observed me. I did not know what to say, as I tried to read his thoughts it was as if they were blocked. How could that be?   
"Good morning." Was all I could say. His attitude insulted me, he turned away and looked at some books on the shelf in front of him.

"That's a good book, the one you're holding there." He looked at me again, his eyes piercing right through me.

"What is your problem?" I could help but ask. He looked at me with angry eyes.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, he grinned while he shook his head and looked around the store.

"I'm asking what your problem is. It's not exactly normal the way you reacted last time when I introduced myself, nor how you act right this moment." He laughed and I could not figure out what could possibly be funny right now.

"I'm sorry if my behavior has insulted you Juliette." It sounded strange when he said my name, unnatural.

"Yes, well..don't do it again." I said before I could think of something less stupid.

"Do I make you nervous?" he walked to my other side and looked down on me while doing so.

"No."

"No? It seems so." He stayed perfectly calm, when the bell tinkled again I gasped for air, hopefully he did not notice.

"Caleb, there you are." A beautiful woman walked towards us, her eyes and hair just as dark as Caleb's. He looked at her, his eyes were almost scared.

"And this is?" she smiled, but when she took a closer look at me her smile disappeared. She was young, but older than Caleb and me. Around her twenties.  
"Juliette." He said after which she nodded.

"Keira. Caleb's sister." Her voice was cold and flat. "Nice to meet you Juliette, Caleb, mother asks if you could come home as soon as possible. It's urgent." Caleb only nodded and waited for her to leave before he spoke again.

"So what exactly are you from the Cullens?" he asked. I wasn't prepared for his direct question, it made me blink more than necessary.

"Edward is my twin brother, I don't know if you know him."

"I've heard of him." He said coolly. His eyes shifted left and back, this time he seemed nervous.

"Where are you from? I haven't seen you on high school before."

"That's because I don't go there." He smiled arrogantly, it was a beautiful annoying sight.

"So how old are you?"

"Nineteen. You, let me guess..seventeen, you must be since you're Edward's sister. And your father, well not your real father of course, how old was he again?" there was something in his voice that made me angry, I didn't feel like answering the question. I wasn't able to give him the real answer anyway, so why bother?

"What?" he asked when I remained silent "Am I doing it again? Am I being rude?" he asked amused.

"You're unbelievable!" I said irritated and put the book in my hand back on the shelf.

"Yes I am." He said presumptuous. I turned around as quick as I could and walked away, my feet banging on the wooden floor.

"Juliette wait!" he grabbed my should and it gave me unpleasant shivers.

"Don't touch me! In fact, don't even come near me!" I didn't know where that feeling came from but it scared me, HE scared me.

"I just though you should really buy this book." He held up his hand holding a book.

"No thank you." I said angry when I walked away again, this time effectively.


	4. I know

**Sorry for like..not updating since forever. But it's been busy here. I have a short vacation right now. But I'll be in London most of it, in about 5 days I'll leave for London (OMG I'm so happy) Well…this is the next chappie. Hope you like it. And I know things are a little vague right know, but It'll all be clear soon! **

**Chapter 3 – I know**

"Well you seem upset." Edward said when I came home again.

"I thought you would go hunting?" I said, not wanting to talk about what happened at the bookstore.

"No, I asked if YOU were up for some hunting. Actually. I thought about what you said. And I think I'm going to ask Bella over next weekend."

"Good." I said, not as enthusiastic as Edward had expected.

"What's going on?" he asked me.

"Nothing much. Where's Carlisle?" I avoided the question as much as possible, and tried to think about innocent stuff. Like puppies and ducks. O god this sucked.

"He's at the hospital." Edward looked at me with a strange look, I knew he was wondering why I was thinking about puppies.

"And Alice?" I figured it was easier talking to a girl, and especially Alice in this case.

"Upstairs." He walked back to his piano and while I walked towards the stairs I suddenly turned around.

"Why are you not at Bella's?" I asked.

"They're having dinner." I nodded, understanding what his point was. I heard him think what was wrong with my but it was a discussion I wasn't willing to lead.

I knocked on the door of Alice and Jasper's room.

"Come in." it was Jasper, when I came in he was laying on the bed reading a book and Alice sat on the ground, I wasn't exactly sure of what she was doing.

"Alice, can I speak with you?" I asked. I tried to make clear that Jasper had to leave the room and he noticed it.

"Okay, okay. I'll go. If you're looking for me, which I doubt, I'm in your room Jules."

Alice jumped gracefully on the bed and gestured that I could come sit beside her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You don't know?" I asked. She shook her head, she was honest. Or at least most part of her was honest.

"Tell me." She said patiently.

"Last week I kind of…well fainted on the streets when I went back home from school." She nodded, her face was all patience.

"And some boy found me. He reacted strange when he found out what my last name was, and he made me nervous. Well, I ran into him at the book store today..and the feeling came again. Every time he comes near me I feel…threatened. With his sister it was even worse."

"You met his sister?" she asked, I nodded.

"Exactly how close are you with this boy?" it was a logical question.

"Not at all close."

"What's his name?" she asked after that.

"Caleb Wade." Her eyes turned a bit darker, which surprised me.

"Wade?" she asked. "They don't exactly like us Cullens." She said. "I'm not entirely sure they know what we are but..they got her a few weeks ago and Carlisle mentioned them a while ago."

"You don't actually think they know what we are do you?" Alice didn't answer.

"Maybe it's best if you just don't hang out with him anymore."

"I never did!"

"Well, keep it that way."

"What else do you know Alice? I know you're hiding something from me."

"I'm not telling you." She avoided thinking of what she had seen.

"Alice, come on."

"Well. I think you're going to have a hard time ignoring this boy." She grinned.

"What are you talking about?" I tried her mind again but it wasn't thinking of it.

After a lonely dinner, I ate something to still the hunger that my partial human body had, I sat down to play some more piano again. I lost track of time when Edward came in.

"What time is it?!" I asked, shocked by the fact that it was light and I hadn't noticed it.

"Ten in the morning. Someone left this for you on the porch." He handed me a big heavy envelope. I looked at his, my name was on it in a very pretty handwriting.

I opened the envelope impatiently and held the book in my hands. The title said: _The Journal of Professor Abraham Van Helsing. _Angrily I threw it on top of the piano. Edward looked at the book, and without picking it up he read the title.

"Well that's ironic." He said, I found it totally pointless he had to mention his opinion on the matter.

"Who's it from?" he asked. I pretended not to know. I grabbed it off of the piano and ran upstairs, I threw it on my bed and put on a CD.

When I returned towards my bed the book was open because of the fall. I saw a handwritten line and took the book to examine it more closely. There were two words:

_I know._

I directly decided to look up where the Wade family lived. This was ridiculous, and I at least had to defend the honor of my family. Or well, pretend to do so. I found out they didn't live really far away from where we lived, so I decided to take one of the cars and left the house. I figured since it was Sunday, any normal person would be at home at half past ten in the morning. Or at least some of his family. It took me a while before I found the house. It was just as far from the town centre as ours, just as remote. The place scared me, I felt the same threatening nervous feeling taking me over. I got out of the car and inhaled the fresh air. It was a nice house, and a nice environment. Why did I feel this way? Because I was far away from my family? Or maybe because I was all alone on human territory? Slowly I walked towards the steps of the ports, and stood before the red front door. I hesitated before I knocked. The memory of the book made me angry again and I felt my eyes turning darker, no, it was not a feeling, I just knew. I was somehow relieved when it was Caleb who opened the door.

"You got the book I reckon?" he grinned and despite the fact that it was extremely attractive it was extremely annoying as well.

"Yes. And.." I felt uneasy "And I'm here to ask you what this – I held up the book – is supposed to mean."

He sighed and leaned against the door pillar.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked, I shook my head.

"I won't be long." I heard my voice in a strange way, as if it wasn't my own.

"Well then.." he walked towards me and turned to a hanging bench on the porch "Have a seat over there." When I declined he sat down by himself and looked at me.

"You're quite beautiful." He said, completely at ease with himself.

"And you are quite rude!" I said, not believing what he just said and with such arrogance. The disbelief was noticeable in my voice and made him smile.

"It only was a compliment."

"Tell me about the book." I demanded.

"Okay." He said with a soft sigh. "I know." He said as if it clarified everything. Well, it did. But I pretended to be ignorant.

"You know..what?" every word was spoken slow and on it's own.

"I know what you and your family are. It's part of the reason we are here."

"Because we're adopted children and our young parents are good citizens in this society?" I asked, my voice dripped with sarcasm. He smiled again. I knew what he was thinking, he knew I was hiding something. He knew I was hiding…suddenly he spoke again.

"Not that part. The vampire part." My heart skipped a couple of beats when he said that particular word. The way he said it was easy, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, but his eyes seemed…angry almost hostile in a way.

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"It is."

"Look, I'm sorry about the book. I don't know why I did it. And I don't want to upset you or anything…it just seemed…appropriate." His eyes were dark and unbelievably irresistible for any girl in the entire world I guessed, but they scared me.

"Yes well.. why would I get upset by a book about a famous so-called vampire hunter IF I were a vampire?" irony again.

"You don't believe in the stories about Van Helsing?"

"Oh come on, there only made up to secure people they could be safe with garlic and crosses and holy water. We don't.." WHY?! Why on earth could I be so stupid! I NEVER spoke about this, or us. I never ever would betray my family like that. But it seemed as if he had forced it out of me without me even knowing it.

"It's okay. My family and I are familiar with vampires." The way he said this made me shake, the tone in his voice was dark and full of hate. But he tried to hide it by looking friendly.

"Who are you?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes.

"Caleb Wade." He answered irritatingly enough. "And don't worry. We know what you and your family are since before we came here. And I'm not intending to tell Forks your little secret." He smiled again.

"Why not?" I was suspicious.

"Because I want to get to know you."

"Why?"

"Because I like you, in some strange, ridiculous way." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled again. "But maybe it's best if our families don't know?"

I completely did not understand why or how it all happened, but that's when me and Caleb started to be friends.


	5. Take a look at my body

**Hello everyone! **

**So it took a while for me to update, and I'm sorry. But London was great, I actually saw Keira Knightley in Hyde Park! O-m-g, I'm here biggest fan. And the weather was great, it just was amazing. So you're probably wondering how things are with Juliette and Caleb..well..here we go**

**Chapter 4 – Take a look at my body**

Caleb's presence still felt weird to me. It confused my senses all the time, which I blamed on the fact of me being a half-vampire. My senses couldn't adjust to change.

"So, what's your story?" he asked me a week after he told me he knew my family's secret.

"You already seem to know my story." I told him.

"Not really. I can tell you're different from the rest." His remark stung me. I had been living with this identity crisis for over a hundred years now, but still I hated the word 'different'.

"Well that's because I'm not exactly a vampire." The word came out so easily but he always reacted strange to it. He knew all about my family about know, the way we lived, and especially eat and hunt. Talkin was something special between us, it seemed as if every word touched our cores. I trusted him so easily it sometimes scared me.

"You're not?" he seemed surprised.

"Caleb, if you knew anything at all about vampires, you would easily have notice that I'm not one of them. For instance, I'm not insanely beautiful, or fast for that matter."

"I didn't think a human could grow so old."

"I'm not human either." He laughed in disbelief.

"Unbelievable. Well tell me then!" his dark brown eyes were looking at me as if the answer was written all over my body.

"I'm a half-vampire. Carlisle's venom didn't work…or…well, my blood tries to resist it. It has kept me alive all this time but.." He looked encouraging at me when I hesitated. So eager to know all about me.

"I could die any moment. I get sick of fighting my the venom inside of my blood, or even eating for that matter."

"Eating?"

"Caleb," I said as if I could demand any more attention "I eat human food as well as…well..you know.." he nodded.

"I get the picture." We were in the woods, I liked being here and he liked being anywhere but near his family when he was with me.

"So," he said slowly, he had been looking down but now he looked me in the eye.

"Are you alive?" he asked.

"My heart beats faintly, yes."

"And are you planning on dying soon?" his face was serious, I had never seen such a beautiful human being in my life. I had to laugh, something he made me do a lot the past week.

"Well, it's not my intention to die very soon."

"Good." He smiled again, and through the dark almost black locks of hair in front of his eyes I could see them sparkle brightly.

It was Friday, I hadn't been sick since a week and I was proud of it. Mostly it was because I could resist the urge to eat, which sounds sick from someone being to some extent human. When I came home after school, Carlile's car was parked on the drive way.

"Hey, you're early." I said when I found him in the kitchen no one but me ever used.

"Jules, hello." His face brightened up just a little.

"How are you feeling today?" I hated the question but I knew what was going on.

"Fine, thank you." I didn't have to ask him the same because I already knew.

"How old was she?" I asked him, he looked at me in surprise forgetting for a short moment my ability to read his mind.

"Seventeen." He had lost a patient who came in from another town. Carlisle rarely lost a patient, when he did, his angel heart broke. He needed Esme to heal it, that's why he was home.

"She reminded me of you." This surprised me since he said it at the exact time he thought it.

"Oh." Was all I could say. "Except she died of leukemia, and I'm not dead." I said, we both saw the ironic resemblance. The girl and I had the same enemy, our blood.

"Dad, I'm fine." I was the only one who called him 'dad' so often. I liked the idea and just couldn't help it.

"I won't be home this evening though." I tried to say it as light as possible.

"Are you going hunting with Edward?" For the past hundred years Edward and I where inseparable, that changed when Bella came into his life. I didn't mind, but Carlisle though I did.

"No." Carlisle always wanted to know when and why I wasn't home, because I wasn't able to take care of myself, I couldn't rely on my body.

"I'm going to a friend." He didn't ask further and I appreciated that.

I was playing the piano when the phone rang. That was odd. Carlisle was out with Esme and the only calls we ever get are from the hospital, but he always reported when he was going out so they would call him on his cell phone.

"I'll get it." I yelled upstairs, only Jasper and Alice where at home, they didn't respond.

"Juliette Cullen." I said through the receiver.

"Hi." My heart skipped a beat when I heard a familiar voice who could only call for me.

"Hello." I said a bit to enthusiastic to my taste.

"So I know we got something planned tonight." He started, I felt something disappointing coming up but he was too far away to read his mind, I wasn't as talented as Edward.

"Yes..if you still want to." We were going to watch Pride & Prejudice at his house, his family (I didn't know how much of them there were) was out of town for the weekend.

"Well. I've got a problem. Penny stayed home."

"Who's Penny?" I asked, it was now I realized he never told me anything about his family, or himself for that matter. Just shallow thing, which music he liked, which books he loved.

"Penny is…" his voice sounded squeaky, as if he couldn't quite explain the situation. "My sister. Well kind of actually, she's the daughter of my aunt but she is raised by my parents." I liked that he told me something about his family, it made me smile.

"And that's a problem?"

"Well yes."

"Caleb, your sister saw me as well."

"Yeah and look how that turned out." His comment hurt me, somehow he must have felt it. Or the extreme silence did the job.

"Okay, I'll try and get Penny out of the house. If not, I'll make it up to you and we go somewhere else. I could take you out to dinner?"

"I can't eat."

"Right. Sorry about that."  
"Just come over and I'll take care of it."

I still wondered what this problem with his family was. Keira, his sister, met me and okay..she acted a little weird but still. They couldn't forbid him to see me or anything, he was nineteen and could make his own responsible decisions.

"Bye." He said, a tone of regret in his voice.

"Bye."

"I heard you were going to a friend tonight." Edward said suspiciously when he walked into the room.

"In fact, I am." As if couldn't have friends!

"We don't have friends Jules."

"_You _have Bella." I said, but I knew that was different, I could feel how he felt about Bella.

"Well I'm trying to have one." I knew he was concentrating on my mind.

"If it makes you happy." He smiled gently.

"Shall I bring you? I'm going to Bella's house anyways." He tried to make me happy by letting me do what I wanted and helping me with it.

"Thanks Ed."

I got out of my brother's car when I heard him call for me from the drivers seat.

"Jules, who is this guy?" of course my mind couldn't hide that Caleb was a guy. He looked at the old house somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

"His name's Caleb. Well..I'll see you at the house later. Bye."

"Wait. How are you going to get home?" I could see that only one eyebrow lifted in his face.

"I'll walk." I answered calmly.

"No you won't. I want him to bring you home." Edward said severe, just before he drove away.

Before I even arrived at the front door Caleb had opened it.

"Hey." He said with a magical smile.

"Good evening." I couldn't be mad at him anymore, or be hurt.

"Come in." he held the door open and took my coat.

"You're not even cold." He said surprised, implying on my pale skin.

"That's all part of the beating heart." He nodded understanding when I said that.

"Where's Penny?" I asked when we went to the living room and there was no one to be found in the house.

"Out." He said shortly with dark eyes. It was a beautiful cozy house. In the living room where several couches who looked comfortable. There was a big flat screen TV and a fireplace with pictures on the mantelpiece. I walked towards the pictures. There were many of him and Keira, and some with people I didn't know.

"How many siblings do you have?" I asked carefully.

"There's Keira, Penny, you've heard about them. And then there's Chase, Tyler and Matt. And me of course."

"Well that's a lot."

"You're from a big family too. But I guess that's different right? Anyway, Tyler is Penny's brother..not really ours. The rest are my real siblings."

"How old are they?" I stroke one the list of a picture where they were all in.

He started pointing them out.

"Keira is twenty, Penny sixteen. Chase and Tyler are twenty-one and Matt's twenty-three. And I'm nineteen as you know." I looked at the faces, all of them had the same dark brown hair, except for Chase, his was black. The boys were all a very special kind of handsom, something I had not seen before, strong and mysterious. And the girls..Keira was extraordinary beautiful, she would come near Rosalie and Alice, but she never smiled on any of the pictures. And Penny, Penny was special, she had the face of one of those models who remind you of aliens, strange but beautiful.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" I would've if I didn't get sick of it, I was quite hungry (the human kind) but before I could say anything he shook his head.

"Of course not. Sorry about that."

Not much later we were both on the big couch in front of the TV. I hugged my knees and Caleb hung in the couch with a lot of cushions surrounding him. It didn't take us long to get closer, it happened naturally. My cold feet were shoved under his upper legs, and he put a hand on my knee without noticing it. When the main character said something that made me laugh we got aware of each other again.

"I like it when you smile." He said, when I tried to read his mind things got unclear , he could avoid his true thoughts so easily. I didn't know what to say so I smiled again, this time timidly. I lay down my head on a pillow still keeping my feet warm under his legs. Things felt safe and comfortable, normal almost. This was new to me. Trusting someone so fully besides my own family. On the TV Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were having a fight, my favorite scene. Not because of the dispute, but the way Mr. Darcy declares his love for her, but I didn't see much of it. I got cold and my stomach ached with pain, my entire body seemed to burn and freeze at the same time.

"Juliette are you okay?" I heard his distant voice, I could feel him moving.

"God Juliette you're shaking!" he sounded worried.

"Caleb," was all I could say before another shock of pain followed.

"What's wrong?" he yelled.

"The.."

"It's the venom isn't it?" I nodded me head, and felt it began to get heavier. I was loosing consciousness.

"Jules, stay with me now!" my face was in his hands and he forced me to look at him.

"Damn it Jules!" I felt something soft under my head, and then another shock of pain. Was I dying?

"Don't you die on me Juliette!" so maybe I _was _dying. He walked away and that moment the pain seemed to worsen. When he came back he put a blanket around me.

"I'll take you home."

"I'm just.." I sighed "Sick."

"Yeah hell you are! Jesus you're burning up!" his hand stroke my face.

"Maybe I should take you to the hospital."

"No. Carlisle will..help." my senses refused to work any longer.

"Juliette come on. Jules…Jules!" but I couldn't hear him.

The next thing I knew was hearing Carlisle's voice. I opened my eyes, not all the pain was gone but it was bearable.

"It's okay honey." His eyes were full of worries and I knew what he was thinking. He was afraid I would die, like I should have a long time ago. And he thought it was his fault. Esme was there too, supporting Carlisle as always. And being the most lovely person ever, she was also worried.

"It's not your fault." I said and tried t smile.

"Alice told me what would've happened if that boy wouldn't have brought you home. Tell him I'm thankful for what he did when you see him again."

"I will." My voice was weak.

"Who was he? We found you on the porch after the doorbell rung.

"You didn't meet him?" What was his problem with our families?!

"Edward heard him and found you."

"His name's Caleb. And where is Edward?"

"I'm here." His voice was gloomy and his face angry and worried. He stepped out of the corner of my room and walked towards the bed to hold my hand. Not saying a word. After a while Carlisle and Esme left, leaving me alone with Edward.

"Exactly what do you think you're doing?!" He asked with a vicious voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You could've died Jules. And this boy, I don't trust him. Who would leave a girl on a porch like this!" I was trying to play the big brother again, and I loved him for it, but it kind of irritated me at the moment.

"Caleb is my only friend Edward."

"If he's human he can't be good for you! What if things get out of hand!"

"You should say so." I said sarcastically. "I though you would bring Bella home this weekend?"

"I will do so next weekend, and don't be sick because I want you to meet her." He said, forgetting our argument seconds ago. Probably because he knew I was right, or I just liked to think that.

"I won't. How long have I been.." I couldn't finish.

"It's Monday." He said fast. "Carlisle called school already."

"Two days? Well that's an improvement." The last time it had been anything like this I was unconscious for three and a half days.

"And that Caleb of yours called. Only a thousand times. I think you should call him back sometime." He said after which he kissed my forehead and left my room.


	6. I guess it's gonna have to hurt

**Hi everyone!**

**I'm so sorry it (again) took me ages to put another chapter on. And I wanted to put some more on this time but I gotta make ready for a party, so I owe you guys! I'll put on some more tomorrow (I promise, but please don't hate me if I cant ;)) **

**Chapter 5 – I guess it's gonna have to hurt**

"Caleb Wade." He sounded tired but I was relieved when he was the one who picked up the phone and not someone else of the Wade family.

"It's me. Juliette." I wished my voice sounded more strong as it did in my ears.

"God Jules. I've been calling you for days!" it was the clear sound of relief followed by irritation.

"I know. I'm sorry." There wasn't more I could say.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. Better at least. Listen, I'm sorry if I scared you or anything."

"Jules. The only thing that scared me was the risk of losing you." It sounded as so much more than friendship but I couldn't allow my brains to think such thoughts.

"Well..you didn't. So we're okay?" I asked cautiously.

"More than okay." I could hear him smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be attending school right now?"

"I'm not well enough to do so."

"Are you sure you're okay? Should I come over?" the question caught me off guard. I would very much like him to come over, but why would he want to, all of a sudden?

"You know I'm not home alone, right?" I asked just in case. There was a moment of hesitation at his side of the line.

"I know. But if you need me or anything, I'm willing to look past that." I loved the way his voice sounded when he was speaking so seriously. A low and warm sound.

"Okay. So say I do need you?" I could feel my face turn into a smile.

"I'm on my way than.." I heard him smile again as well and after that he hung up the phone.

"Oh god." I said to no one in particular when I noticed how terrible I looked. Why did I care? Was it a human or a vampire thing to want to look at least far from terrible when you're only friend came over? I ran to my closet and put on my favorite black dress, it was a simple short sleeveless dress so I put on a vest so I wouldn't get cold (ironically I never did, my blood was too cold, and yet not as cold as my brother's). My hair was never a problem. The long bronze locks always succeeded to please me.

"She's upstairs, but come on in. I didn't know Juliette expected a visitor." I heard Esme's sweet voice when I walked won the stairs. When I found them in the living room, I saw Esme's gentle smile and Caleb's dark eyes looking about the room restlessly.

"Caleb, hi." I tried to smile despite the tension in my body.

"_This_ is Caleb?" Esme asked right before she thanked him way too exaggerated.

"I'm sorry. I should've introduced myself. My name is Caleb Wade." He put action to his words and introduced himself properly.

"I'll leave you two alone now, Jules are you alright?" I nodded. "Then I won't bother you any longer." She smiled at both me and Caleb.

"You didn't bother me at all. Nice to meet you Mrs. Cullen." He was flawlessly polite, something that was new to me. In the beginning he had been rather rude to me.

He walked towards me to sweep me into an embrace. The warmth of his body surprised my slightly cold body. I've never hugged any human before. He set me free from the embrace and sat down on one of the couches. He was still looking about the room, admiring our house for as far as I could make up out of his thoughts.

"So, how have you been?" I asked to make casual conversation.

"I've been worried mostly."

"I've noticed." I couldn't help smiling. Caleb however was still looking around anxiously.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked. He shook his head.

"It's just..I shouldn't exactly be here. It's not safe." It was the most humiliating thing he could have ever said to me, mostly because it was true. I can't deny needing and wanting blood every now and then. And I was especially 'drawn' to him, not only because of our friendship. I tried to deny it ever since the night I went to watch a movie at his house. I should go and hunt with Edward soon, very soon. He could probably see my hurt expression better than I wanted him to see.

"I'm sorry..I don't..It's not like I suspect your family to harm me or anything. That's completely not the point. It's just..well..Penny found out you had been at our house and now I'm having troubles with my father.."

"I don't understand." I honestly didn't, I tried to read his mind again. "Your father isn't willing to allow us being friends?" I exactly repeated his thoughts.

"Actually, he can't."

"What's it with your family Caleb?" I hissed.

"I can't tell." He looked at me with regret.

"I've told you everything, now you have to trust me for once." His mouth was a straight line as he shook his head.

"I do trust you. But in the end, someone will get hurt. It's inevitable. I just don't want it to be you." I wanted to say something but he begged me not to in his mind.

"I've got to go. I'm sorry I couldn't be of better use to you today but..it was stupid of me to come." He stood up and walked to the kitchen to say goodbye to Esme.

"Very nice to have met you Mrs. Cullen. Have a lovely day." I heard him say after which I followed him to the front door. He stepped outside and turned to face me, when he did his face was but only inches from mine. I could feel his breath on my skin, and it made me dizzy, again realizing I should go and hunt with Edward. I couldn't hunt alone, I was too weak and slow, Edward helped me and we never went far, I was the only one who didn't need an entire weekend to get well fed.

"Call me. Please." He whispered to my face, it wasn't a request but more of a demand.

"I will." My voice seemed too loud after his beautiful whisper.

"And please remember," he said "It's not you."

"Of course not." I said with a tone of sarcasm. He turned, shaking his head and waked to his car, and old dark blue Mustang. He winked once, just before he drove away. Leaving me with a feeling of regret and shame. I scared him, and because of what I was he couldn't be with me.


	7. So close to being yours

**So this is quite fast after my previous update ;****). Well, I just got into a huge fight with my parents last night, about my sister. I kind of can't stand how she acted on a party and they're blaming me for everything, you know how parents get all angry and stuff about nothing. So I needed to write my feelings away. Hope you like it. (not my feelings obviously but my writing.) x**

**Chapter 6 – So close to being yours**

After he left I sat on the porch for a while, not entirely sure what I was waiting for. Until I noticed Edward's car on the driveway. I didn't know how I could miss Edward coming home, the reason was probably because I was staring at the grey sky for what seemed like hours. I got up and went inside looking for my brother. I could hear music from his room so I didn't have to look very long. There he was on his bed, completely at ease and even happy. He looked up when I entered the room trying to be as quiet as possible.

"What's the matter?" he asked seeing my face even more pale as usual, all the blood that was left in my body was drained from it.

"Nothing really. Why aren't you at Bella's?"

"She was busy with school, or she should be, because I left so she could concentrate on school rather than on me." I could feel that it was harder to read my brother's thoughts when I was this hungry and weak, I wasn't as strong as Edward by far.

"But what's up with you Juliette? You look pale." I sat down beside him on his bed and concentrated on the music for a while, after which I looked at my brother faking a smile he didn't believe. He never did believe my lies, and I never believed his.

"I don't feel so well. I think I need to go hunting." I stared out of the window, it was about four o'clock and there was still a great amount of light filling the world outside my house.

"Than we'll go as soon as it gets dark." He nodded with the sentence, and than looked at me, demanding more information on my condition. I told him about what happened with Caleb, and how it had hurt me, all without words.

"Come here." He opened his arms and embraced me, his skin was colder than mine but comforting. "I don't think he's scared of what you are Jules.." he paused for a brief moment "I think he's scared of what he feels." I looked up at him not entirely understanding what he was trying to say.

"What I mean Jules, who could care about you?" I knew he was playing the big brother again, but this time I didn't mind, I needed him to.

"But for some creatures" he chose the word carefully "human or vampire for that matter, it's hard to face those feelings, not knowing how the other would react."

"Are you saying.." I couldn't finish my sentence because Edward started a new one.

"I think he loves you. Whether as a friend or more." He stood up and walked towards a pile of CD's looking at the backside of two of them. "We'll go hunting tonight, but I don't think Carlisle will be happy about it..since..well..he's worried about you Jules." He looked over his shoulder at me sitting on his bed and he frowned.

"Just call him." He said after reading my mind. I was thinking of Caleb and what I should do, if he even wanted to speak with me after his weird goodbye this afternoon. And so I followed my brother's advice.

"Penny Wade." Penny's voice was so strange, it sounded almost unnaturally gentle and serene. It reminded me of Rosalie when she was angry about something but she didn't want other people to notice it.

"Hi, ehm..I'm calling for Caleb." I decided to try and keep my name out of the conversation.

"And you are?" suddenly her voice was presumptuous.

"Juliette." I answered while my eyes narrowed, hoping she would not recognize my name.

"Juliette. Well, Caleb's not around, can I leave a message?" her voice was again unnaturally gentle but with an undertone of threat or danger, I couldn't make up my mind about those two. I could hear she was lying, I knew it because I heard him ask who she was talking to in the distance. Sometimes I could hear better then humans, other times just as good. I was happy that the vampire part of me chose to help me on this subject right now.

"Just tell him I can hear him and that I want to talk to him." I said satisfied by the subtle angry tone in my voice. She can't mess with me. I heard her make a strange annoyed growling sound and second later I heard another voice.

"Juliette I think it's better if you don't call me on this telephone anymore." Caleb started the conversation.

"Does this mean you don't want any contact with me whatsoever?" I was kind of shocked.

"No, no. Jules of course not." The warmth in his voice when he said my name made me smile hopefully.

"It's just, I'll get in trouble. Penny isn't like, my best friend or something..and I could swear she's telling Aiden right this moment." He sounded anxious.

"Aiden?" I asked finding it completely ridiculous how he was overreacting.

"My father." It sounded unnatural but I ignored it.

"Listen, I don't want to get you into trouble but you asked me to call and..Caleb I don't want to lose you because of what I am." I didn't feel comfortable talking about this through the phone but I had to say it. I had to put myself out there. The second he began to talk it sounded like he was relaxing a bit. I could hear from his breath that he had been walking.

"Jules, please believe me it's not you. But I don't really feel comfortable discussing this by telephone..you?" he suddenly asked. I told him how I felt.

"Well, I'll meet you in the forest around the corner of Forks Highschool." He said, and he hung up the phone.

"Hi." He hung against his car, his arms folded in front of his chest, his eyes peering through a thick shiny lock of dark hair. It was raining, of course, but I didn't mind the rain.

"Hi." My voice sounded shy but I couldn't help but wonder why. Why was I nervous? I felt, threatened and safe at the same time.

"I'm so sorry it has to be so hard." He started, his eyes were soft and ashamed.

"Not at all Caleb. It's okay. I'm glad you wanted to see me after what happened this afternoon."

"Oh Jules.." he took on step into my direction, his fingertips swiftly stroke the skin of my cheek. He shook his head as if to wake himself from dreaming and took a step back again.  
"There something I need to tell you." He said seriously. "Do you want to sit in my car or yours or..?" he gestured to both cars.

"I'm fine right here. I'm already soaked so.." I was eager to hear what he had to say.

"Well.." he started, his voice sounded formal and I wasn't used to it. It scared me actually.

"Just tell me." I said when he didn't go on.

"Juliette, I hope that what I'm going to say doesn't affect our friendship in a negative way but.." this time he sounded nervous and the way his nervousness was obviously all over his face was sweet, he was so innocent like this. I couldn't help but smell his perfect smell, and look at his perfect skin. I forgot that I was supposed to be hunting with Edward any minute now. He sighed.

"Maybe I shouldn't say it but.." he took a step closer to me, I could feel his hands around my waist and what happened next went so fast that I could barely comprehend it. I could feel how my back was on the ground and it hurt a lot. My neck hurt from twisting in a strange way and I could hear Caleb shout my name and something I couldn't quite understand. I felt the raindrops on my face and for a short while I thought it would be nice to be swept away by the darkness that was named unconsciousness. But his voice kept me awake.

"Stop it!" he roared "Are you crazy! Get out of here!" I could hear him but I couldn't see much. It was dark and the raindrops blinded me. I felt a warm hand against my cheek followed by another on my other cheek.

"Are you okay?" I could feel the hand picking me up and holding me against a warm human body. It was Caleb. I blinked my eyes after which I could see clearly again but there was no sign of what had just happened.

"What happened?" he took a deep breath and looked at me.

"You got hit by a car." It sounded as if he couldn't believe it himself.

"A car? Here?" we were aside the road but it was unlikely that a car could hit me on such a deserted road.

"Yeah." He said as if in shock. "Are you okay? God Jules, are you okay?!" his dark eyes were so worried it scared me.

"I guess? Do I look okay to you?" I asked, wondering if he could see any wounds I didn't feel yet.

"You look perfect." I was still in his arms but he put me down, I was a bit dizzy but perfectly fine. Again he put his hands around my waist and stood so closely to me that this time I was dizzy because of his scent and his presence. I shivered in a positive way as he looked into my eyes.

"I'm gonna just say it now, or I'll never have the courage to tell you the truth again but.." he leaned down and I could feel his warm lips softly on mine, he took my face in his hands and gently pushed his lips harder against mine until he let go.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." He whispered, the dizziness almost took hold of me but his eyes brought me back to earth, or something like it. I wasn't able to speak so I pushed my lips against his very carefully and shy, when I pulled away again our foreheads rested against each other and I looked him in the eye.

"I think I already fell." I whispered back.


	8. They're the hunters and we the rabbits

**Omg. I'm reading Eclipse right now, in English because it's not even near being translated in dutch and I'm impatient, so I'm all into the Twilight-mood. So I HAD to write. Hope you like my next chapter, and thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and for reading, of course. Kisses! **

**Chapter 7 – They are the hunters and we are the rabbits**

"I've got to go." I said abruptly, his eyes looked scared and he was begging me in his mind to not leave him now. But I couldn't stay, not now, not this hungry, not this close to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked scared he did something wrong.

"You didn't do anything wrong Cale, it's just.." So I never found this any more embarrassing as right now "..I need to hunt. You're making it hard for me not to get hungry..you smell heavenly."

"Oh.." he said awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. This is so embarrassing. I'm sorry..I can't help it though."

"It's okay." He held my head in the palm of his hand. "But are you okay? Are you hurt?" I shook my head.

"No, I don't believe so. I'll let Carlisle check just in case, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise." He smiled, but suddenly his face turned dark.

"Are you hunting alone?" he asked anxiously, I didn't understand why.

"No, Edward always goes with me..why?" I frowned and my head hung a little to the left asking the question, trying to find out in his mind but he was hiding something.

"Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm going hunting and you're worried about _me_?" we both laughed. "You're ridiculous." I said just before turning around and walking to my car, still a little dizzy but unsure if it was because of the mysterious car or Caleb.

"Call me when you're back, will you?"  
"It can get late.." I answered thinking about my slow way of hunting and my stubbornness that would keep Edward from helping me do it.  
"I don't care."

When I got home Edward came running downstairs.

"Are you okay?!" he asked worried.

"I'm fine, why?"

"I had a feeling something was wrong with you." I forgot that Edward and I were strangely connected like that.

"It was nothing Edward, I didn't even see the car or feel it hit me really. I guess that's a vampire thing?"

"Car? You got hit by a CAR?!" Edward was practically yelling at me now. When he tried to calm himself down I could hear the soft growling sound of anger and concern.

"Sure you didn't ask Alice to check on me?" I asked with narrowed eyes but I couldn't help smiling.

"Alice is out with Jasper, but she's probably worried sick about you too. I wonder why she didn't call me.." he got lost in his own thoughts and after a while he looked at me again.

"Are you okay? I mean, are you hurt?" I shook my head slowly after which he walked around me just to check. When I seemed okay he seemed satisfied.

"Why were you out? We had planned to go hunting didn't we?"

"I had to talk to Caleb." I smiled saying his name, something that Edward didn't miss, nor my thoughts of what happened.

"I knew I was right." He said while smiling his 'I-know-everything-smile' but yet with cautious eyes. He wanted to say something but I already knew where this was heading.

"Look Edward, I know I'm your sister and all..but I really don't need another big brother lecture on boys right now..so whatever you're planning to say besides the fact that boys expect certain things..just don't."

"Does he know..?"

"Yes." I didn't have to explain any further because I opened my mind entirely to him unwilling to talk but willing to share my feelings on the subject. After which we went hunting.

I felt absolutely terrible and great at the same time. My mind was giving me the terrible feeling, and my body the great one. My eyes had turned their normal color again, my body was feeling stronger and normal. I felt healthy, of course I did. But it was hard for me to accept the fact that I needed to hunt to feel this way. I felt guilty. I tried to put the feelings aside when I was looking out of the window of Edward's Volvo. He was driving too fast as always. He was concentrating on my mind, he always did after hunting.

"It was just a deer Jules. A weak one, if you didn't kill it something else would have. And it would not have been as fast and painless as you did it." He always said the same thing when I felt like this, and I never really believed him. Carlisle had told me that I had always loved animals when I was human, entirely human, and that it didn't surprise him that I found this so difficult. The desire for human blood was even more resentful.

"Thanks Ed. I'm okay." It took up till four in the morning for me to hunt properly. When we got home I got upstairs immediately and put on my CD of Jeff Buckley. I knew Edward would see this as a sign that I wasn't in the mood to talk right now. He could hear from my music in what kind of mood I was. Jeff Buckley meant definitely meant a bad mood. I stared at the clock for two minutes listening to the chords of Hallelujah. Four in the morning, how could I possibly call him? But I did. I turned the music off and got up to get the phone.

"Caleb Wade." His voice sounded sleepy and hoarse. When I didn't answer I could hear him sigh, probably to try and wake himself up a bit.

"Jules, is this you?" I hummed a soft sound, obviously it was enough for him to recognize me.

"It's late." He said but I could hear him smile.

"Yeah well, told you so." I hated to say I told you so, I really did. It was so..stupid.

"It's okay. How are you? How was the hunt?"

"I'm fine. Terrible." He sensed I didn't want to talk about it but I clarified just in case, "I don't exactly like killing animals."

"I understand. So are you ready to get back to school tomorrow?" I had forgotten entirely about school, but now he mentioned it I felt good enough for it.

"In fact, I am." I heard him smile.

"That's great. I'll pick you up after and we'll do something fun." That was exactly what I needed.

"Thank you. That's exactly what I need." I could feel myself smiling again.

"Than that's what I'll give you." I could hear him yawn.

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you up so late..I'll hang up, you need to sleep."

"No I don't. Not when I can talk to you."

"Just go to sleep."

"Only if you want me to."

"I wished you could talk and be with me forever..but you need to sleep..so yes, I do want you to sleep."

"I love you. Did you know that?"

"I could only hope for it." I smiled and sighed happily and then we hung up.

When I lay down on my bed to stare at the ceiling I couldn't help but think of what happened that evening. Why didn't I see the car? I didn't even hear it. Was I so distracted by Caleb? Could I be that stupid? And why didn't I see the lights? I didn't even feel it hit me? If just fell something throwing me on the ground, and the pain in my back and neck, not any pain of where it had hit me. I couldn't help but wonder, what really did happen to me tonight?


	9. The HalfKilled

**Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews, and I love that you guys are trying to find out what****'s up with Caleb's family. You are all so close! And some even know that they where too close ;) This is the chapter most of you have been waiting for I think..enjoy. Hope you like it. **

**Chapter 8 – The Half Killed**

The next morning I went to school early. I couldn't handle thinking about what could have happened yesterday. Or I didn't want to. One thing I was sure about was that I wanted to see Caleb as soon as I could. When I arrived at school ( I didn't drive with Edward but instead I took my own car, and old red MG B which Alice teased me about, but I loved it) I decided to look over the book we were going to discuss at English one more time. I already read it about ten times, but it couldn't hurt to kill some time. Jane Eyre wasn't my personal favorite, but it beat thinking about what happened to me. My back was still a little sore, but it was barely noticeable. When Edward arrived at school with Bella, of course, the both of them walked up to me.

"Bella," Edward begun with a serious tone, "This is my twin sister, Juliette. Julliete, this is Bella Swan." So he finally decided to introduce her to me too. He looked at me when he heard my thoughts. Of course, I thought, I hadn't been at school much lately. Maybe there was no opportunity before. Edward nodded as to my thoughts and smiled.

"So very nice to meet you Bella." I shook her hand and I could notice her scent faintly, I looked at her and she seemed completely at ease.

"Nice to meet you too, Juliette."

"You can call me Jules. Edward has..well…'told' me so much about you." I couldn't help but laugh a little. Bella didn't seem to understand so I looked meaningful at Edward who started to explain.

"Jules has the same…qualities I have." He said.

"Except he's much more talented of course." I said and smiled at Bella, I could feel how her presence made my brother happy.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she said with a smile to Edward. The bell rung and we all had to go to class.

"I hope to see you soon Bella." Edward thanked me in his mind, but I wasn't exactly sure for what.

School went by faster than I had thought. I wasn't happy about what other people accused me from, being away from school yet again. The rumor was that I had some form of cancer and was to weak to attend school every day. The other rumor was that I had some mental problem that kept me away from school. I tried not to care, since I had been through this so many times I shouldn't care at all anymore. But I wanted to be normal, I wanted to go to school. Even though it was much too easy. I had walked this planet for over a hundred years, I even finished some studies at Harvard along with Edward. Esme and Carlisle were so proud.

I walked to the parking lot, not expecting Caleb to be there. But he was.

"Hello." He said while leaning against my car. He smiled, something incredible to witness. His scent seemed a little less tempting. I sighed.

"Hi." Was all I could say. Last night changed everything, it had triggered my endless feelings for him, and now I could never stop loving him. I was sure of it.

"How was school?" he asked casually.

"It was okay. But this is much better." He leaned forward to give me a kiss.

"Ahum." I heard a fake cough beside me and looked into the face of my brother. His eyes seemed amused but when he looked at Caleb his face hardened. _Be nice. _I warned him.

"Caleb sorry.." I said "This is my brother," before I could say his name Edward came into action.  
"Caleb, nice to meet you finally."

"Nice to meet you, Edward I guess? You two sure look a lot like each other." Caleb examined me and Edward and smiled.

"Twins." Edward said. "So, Jules have a nice day..don't forget to be home on time..Carlisle will get worried if you don't." _Funny Edward. _I thought. _A little bit. _He answered my thought. And he walked away to meet his beloved Bella.

"So that's Edward." He said while looking at my face as if he was looking at Edward's.

"That's him." I said a little awkward because my brother was still teasing me in his mind.  
"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"I want to show you my home, because the last time it didn't really work out that good, did it?"

"If you refer to the part where I got unwell.." he nodded and I smiled shamefully.

We went to his home in my car, he walked towards school. Some walk that must have been. His house was nearly as far from my school as ours was. When I walked into the room there was again, no one to be seen.

"Where is everybody?" I asked casually while he walked me to the kitchen, somewhere I hadn't been yet. It was a very large country-like kitchen. Something you would see in old movies, with a happy family in it, all smiling and eating their dinner. I couldn't remember eating dinner with my family.

"Work, out..or something."

"Oh.." I said as if it suddenly was obvious they were all gone.

"Do you want to see my room?" he asked as he poured juice into a glass and wanted to pour some in the second glass but he looked at me and shook his head.

"I still have to get used to that."

"It's okay. You're just being polite." I smiled but I could feel it didn't show in my eyes. Whenever the conversation had been about his family he turned a little cautious.

"I would very much like to see your room." I continued trying to distract him from my face and eyes. He smiled a warm smile and took my hand, mine was cold in his. I felt so much more vampire when I was around him, and that part of me scared me. We got to the first floor which was just as cozy as the living room. The deep-pile red carpet was all over the hallway, and all the doors (five of them) where of dark mahogany.

"Chase's room, Penny, Matt, Tyler and that one's my mum and dad's room." He pointed them out one by one. "Mine and Keira's are up here." He said as we walked up the second stairs. There were two huge windows on either side of this hallway, and on the two other sides where broad walls with on each wall the same mahogany doors as seen on the first floor.

"Keira's" he said as he pointed at the door on the left "And this is mine." He said slowly opening the door for me. His room was quite light with a large tree in front of his window. It was mainly white with different kinds of blue. On my right side the wall was covered with bookshelves and CD's, in front of the shelves was a dark wooden desk with all kinds of papers on it. On my left there was a wall with a small window, the space around the window was covered with drawings and photographs. Almost every inch of the wall was covered by the artistic masterpieces. I automatically walked towards the art wall and stroke my fingers over some of the drawings and sketches and studying the photo's.

"Are these yours?" I asked while my eyes rested on a drawing of a young woman holding a baby. I had never seen so much life and soul in a drawing.

"What?" he looked up from his desk where he had put the papers together on a pile "Oh, yeah…it's nothing really." He said nonchalant.

"Nothing? Caleb, these are great. You have an amazing talent. And the photographs, you really _see_ things. It's like you don't only look, but see to the core of them..you know what I mean?" he started to laugh and I felt like I missed something crucial to understand why he thought I was being funny.  
"Yeah, I do actually." His smile was heartwarming, he walked towards his bed, it was under the great window with the tree outside. I couldn't get away from the drawings, they intrigued me. I had always loved any form of art, and I had studied art history only a few decades ago. It had become my passion. My own talent was mainly music, the piano and singing that is..but this. This was extraordinary.  
"Come sit with me." I heard him while staring at another drawing, this one was picturing two hands reaching out for each other, it reminded me of the fresco of Michelangelo, the Creation of Adam.

"I made that one when we went to Rome for Keira's birthday..it's.."

"The creation of Adam. I recognized it.."

"You're a smart girl." He smiled and padded the space next to him. I finally left the art wall and sat beside him.

"I need to ask you a question." I said slowly when I remembered last night.

"Anything." He said while stroking my hair out of my face, he leaned forward and kissed my neck. I shivered and tried to keep breathing but I couldn't so I pushed him away from me. He grinned.

"What happened yesterday.." I sighed "It wasn't a car..was it?"

"Jules.." he sighed, his face wasn't as warm as it was before I asked my question and it made me nervous.

"Another secret?" I asked sadly "Caleb, I have the right to know what happened to me." I started to get impatient, something I couldn't afford to be. Not now, not with him near me.

"I do want to tell you Juliette.." he hesitated "But..what if _I'm_ the one who will scare _you _away?"

"You couldn't" I said resolute.

"I'm sure I could." He said, his dark brown eyes full of regret. I could see he was thinking of something that didn't happen yet.

"Just tell me..I can handle it. I need you to trust me."

"I do trust you Jules!" he stood up so fast I didn't even notice it until he was already up. "It's just..I don't want to lose you, nor hurt you. I love you." He took my face in his hands.

"I need to know." I said stubbornly.

"You're the most persistent person I have ever met."

"Deal with it." I said harshly and folded my arms in front of my chest. He smiled because of my reaction.

"My family.." he started as he sat down, I didn't feel the need to sit down next to him so I walked towards the art wall again. Keeping my attention on the conversation.

"My family.." he continued "..is different from normal families. Not just because my cousins live here and that sorts of things..but..what we do for a living..what our job is..we protect normal families. We protect them who cannot protect themselves." I couldn't see why he spoke with a tone of shame in his voice, protecting innocent people was something to be proud of. But then it hit me, the question was, protection from what?

"Protection from what?" I asked when he didn't continue.

"My bloodline goes way back…back to the late 14th century. But since there are no specific files from that period, we appeared in history in the late 19th century. In a story that became a legend. It's quite ridiculous really." He paused.

"Just tell me." I hissed, my teeth clenched together.

"Do you remember the book I sent you?" he asked.

"Of course, how could I forget. I was quite disturbed by it."

"I don't know why I did it but…well, that book tells part of the history of my family." The heart that was faintly beating in my chest skipped a couple of beats. It hurt.

"We're not all family. Aiden is not my real father, Georgiana is my real mother. Her first husband, Ibrahim got killed by one of you." It sounded hateful, something that shocked me. But I could understand how hurt he was by the death of his father.

"Aiden is my uncle. Chase and Penny are his. Since the beginning of our family other people..other..species have joined us." He paused again to make sure I realized what he was saying. And I did.

"We're vampire hunters Juliette. We have been for centuries. And we got help from the beginning, a pack of werewolves joined our family and started merging with our family. Aiden and Chase are werewolves. They are of great use for our family and our job. The rest of us…let's just say nature has it's way of compromising things..it has granted us talents and ways to kill our enemy just as it has granted them to the werewolves."

I didn't want to believe the story that I was told. I couldn't believe that I had fell for this trick. This trap. Did he love me or was this one of nature's talents to get me?

"We only have the powers when near vampires. They don't appear when you're around me, I guess that's why I didn't know you were one until I heard your name..Jules..are you okay?" I could feel the blood drain from my face. I could feel my heart beating fast, as if it wanted to beat as hard as it could the last time it did. I wondered how he would kill me, if it would hurt. If Edward, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle were in danger. I would give anything to keep them safe.

"What do you want from me?" I slowly walked backwards to where I thought the door was. I could feel I was crying. I hoped Edward didn't hear my thoughts right now, that I didn't put him in danger. That he wouldn't come for me and get trapped himself.

"Jules..what? No! No please Jules! Don't think that.." he didn't finish as he walked towards me with his arms stretched out towards me.

"I love you Juliette!" he called out. I opened the door behind me and started running down the stairs, he came after me.

"I trusted you!" I yelled through the house.

"Why do you think you're here when no one's around. I want to keep you safe!" he yelled, I couldn't turn and believe his words. I would put myself and my whole family in danger if I did.

"You're hear for my family!" I cried out as I rushed down the seconds stairs.

"Jules it's not like that!" I could hear his voice turn into a cry. I ran for the front door and opened it, when I ran down the porch stairs I tripped. He stood on the porch when I ran towards my car and started it. He didn't follow me. He just yelled my name from the porch. The tears in my eyes almost blinded me while I was driving home as fast as I could. I never regretted having and old-timer car instead of a sports car but this was the first time I longed for speed. I could feel my half-dead body tremble with fear and pain. I was half-killed and I tried my very best to hang on to the little life that was left in me. And now I was a prey who fell in love with it's hunter.


	10. Nicer in a bad way

_Tough day for me today. So it's not gonna be all 'happy-writing' today. Last week, we found out that my grand mother has got to have bypass surgery (I don't really know if that's how you say it in English..but it's a thing with her nerves and her heart) and today my grandfather went to the doctor who told him that something's seriously wrong with his heart and he's got to have heart surgery as well, but a little more dangerous than my grandmother.So…here I am with my story called "Hearts Stop Beating"….okay. I really shouldn't be w__hining like this over here. I'm just going to write now, and hope you like it. Thank you guys for reading, and for the lovely reviews. Hug. _

**Chapter 9 – ****The gun it makes you look nicer in a bad way**

Though the tears almost really blinded me now I still had not crashed my car and myself to a tree. The road to our house seemed longer by the minute. I was cold, although I never was. I was dizzy and nauseous. But most of all I was heartbroken and terrified. I was freaking out, clearly. I was breathing fast, way too fast and I could feel that I didn't get enough air. The space around my heart was itchy, as if there were little feathers all around it. It was a painful itch. It was like there was air pushing against my heart, trying to crush it. It made me breath even faster and I started to hyperventilate and cry at the same time. I heard someone, or something I my head. But I tried to ignore it, until I noticed it was Edward. I looked around as if he was talking to me and was right here. It was a ridiculous reaction.

_Calm down Jules, I'm right here you know that. I'll never leave you. Calm down, just take the wheel and breath Jules. _

When his voice triggered the tears and breathing ever more I started to panic about me sitting in a car, driving all by myself. That's when I saw him. My guardian angel, he always had been. Since the day we were born. The silver Volvo was driving way faster than me and I could hear him hit the breaks. I stopped met car on the other side of the road, unable to move after it. When I saw him, Carlisle and Jasper get out of the car I opened my door and tried to walk. I didn't know how I did it but crying as hard as I would ever have done in my life I stumbled towards my brothers and father. Too scared to look around. Edward and Carlisle caught me when I almost fell and Jasper was clearly trying to calm me down. It didn't work as much as he wanted but I was starting to breath more calmly and the tears came by themselves, without the gasping for air and the sobbing.

"Sweetheart are you alright?" I heard Carlisle's voice, he'd been dying to ask me this question for the past five minutes now but he wanted me to calm down first.

"Cal-eb" I stuttered still trying to control myself.  
"We know.." Edward said while stroking my hair, I was on my knees on the side of the road in front of half my family, crying. Although I was surrounded by three strong vampires, my family, I was still scared.

"Alice just saw what happened.." Jasper explained.

"And I could feel how upset you got.." Edward told me. I thanked whatever god listened for my special twin-bond with Edward. He understood how I felt. And he also understood that I didn't want him to go to Caleb's house right now.

"Emmett wanted to come..to teach the kid a lesson.." Jasper started, my eyes turned big but he continued "But we told Rosalie to keep him home." There was a little smile on his face. I could imagine how disappointed Emmett was, and how Rosalie ordered him to stay, and it would be funny if I didn't feel as broken as I did. I started to cry again and Carlisle lifted me up by my arms and pulled me into an embrace. It calmed me down more than Jasper's attempt. I allowed myself to cry a little more.

"Daddy.." I cried. It was now I felt how much I loved my family and how much I needed them.

"It's going to be alright." He whispered. He was thinking about Esme, who was upset and worried about me. And that he should take me home as soon as possible. Esme had always seen me as her youngest daughter, although you could barely say so. I was the needy one, the weak one, the one who needed her most. Edward was strong, and so where the others.

"Edward.." Carlisle said calm and he turned to Edward, leaving me to Jasper for the moment. Carlisle asked Edward to take me home, so that he and Jasper could have a word with Caleb.

"No!" I cried out. I looked at Jasper in panic and he tried to calm me down again, I forgot how I felt but I knew what I was thinking.

"No please don't." I asked. "They'll kill you!" Carlisle looked at me, his eyes soft and caring.

"Okay. Let's get you home." He said slowly. Jasper walked me to the car and after I got in he squeezed my hand once and walked up to my car to drive it home. Edward was driving the Volvo, I could see his hands grab the wheel a little too hard, his knuckled turned white. I could hear him think.

_Damn the boy for hurting you Juliette. I'll kill them before they get a chance to come near you, or anyone of our family for that matter._

I closed my eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling, this time permanently. After which I stared out of the window.

_Don't Edward. Please don't._

When we got home I slowly walked by Carlisle's side. He opened the door for me and I walked in our living room. Esme, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie sat on the couch waiting for me. Esme's face was worried, Alice's even worse, Emmett looked angry and Rosalie empathetic. She knew what it was like to be hurt by the one you're supposedly loved.

I didn't say anything, because I couldn't. Edward explained the situation, and that I needed to be alone according to my thoughts. I walked to the other side of the room, where the glass wall was and sat down on a little off-white sofa to stare out of the window.

It took eight hours for me to move again. And this only was because Edward asked me to look at him. I looked at him, he went over for a quick visit at Bella's but was back before I knew it. There was no time for me anymore, not now. His face woke me up out of my numb dream. I started to panic again as Edward called for Jasper but I shook my head, I didn't need Jasper's help. I crawled towards Edward and searched for protection of my brother.

"I'm hear." He whispered.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered back.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." He paused and I knew he knew why I apologized. "Don't be ridiculous Juliette." He said a bit angry but in a good way "If anyone put us in danger it would be Caleb himself, not you. You didn't know, it's okay. I didn't know either. I should've..but his thoughts…it's like he experienced it before..you know, people trying to read his mind. He was thinking about other things, it didn't even appear for a second that.." he stopped talking. "He will never hurt you Jules. Carlisle and I think you shouldn't be alone for a while…so there will always be someone near, so you won't get scared, is that okay with you?" he asked cautiously. I nodded, digging my fingers in his arm as I tried to fight the tears.

"I got you something.." he said and he pushed me away from him to reach out for a little package rapped in gold paper with black ribbon.

"That has to be the first time I wrapped something up myself. But I think I did quite a good job." I could smile a little as I took the gift. I opened it slowly. It was a CD of a young artist, a girl of about twenty. I recognized the picture immediately. But I didn't know Edward knew I wanted this CD.

"I heard you play one of her songs on the piano, and sing to it. So I assumed you'd like it. I wanted to hide it between your CD's as a surprise, but I think now's a better time."

"Thank you so much Ed."

"You're welcome. Now try and calm down a little, Alice's trying to keep an eye on that Caleb" I didn't like the way he said _That Caleb _because somewhere I was still wondering if some of it could have been true, if Caleb wasn't lying after all, at least not entirely. "So you'll be safe. If there's anything you need.."

"I know." I said.

"And I know you hope he wasn't lying, about the fact that he loves you…but Jules..please be careful." He said and then he walked away.


	11. Goodbye To You

**This time it didn't take me so long to update. So please, enjoy. I hope you like it, and please review. You guys are lovely. **

**Chapter 10 – ****Goodbye to you**

I spend the entire night in Carlisle's study listening to the CD Edward got me. I even saved the paper it was wrapped in, it hung on a wall in my room. Carlisle came in every now and then, supposedly to check on me, and I knew Esme asked him to. When he did he pretended to get a book or papers from is his desk. There were two songs on the CD that sounded melancholic enough for me to repeat them time after time. I was pathetic, and I had clearly lost my mind. Edward was at Bella's for the night, and though I didn't feel the need to talk, I did feel the need to talk to him. With him gone I thought it would be best to talk to Alice. If I didn't I would crack. I walked towards her room and I could hear her talking to Jasper. I didn't want to interrupt but Alice opened the door just as soon as I had turned to walk away.

"Hi." Her soft and sweet voice pierced through my silence.

"Hi." It felt kind of weird to talk, since I hadn't talked for over six hours. She held the door open for me and I walked in slowly. Jasper smiled at me, almost careful and he calmed me down immediately. This time I was grateful. I didn't mind him being there, my bond with Jasper was quite special, we didn't speak much but we could talk about books a lot or go walking in the woods around the house, just being silent. I sat down on Alice's deep purple couch.

"You should talk Julie." Alice only called me Julie when I needed to be comforted. I nodded.

"I know." I said hoarsely.

"What happened?" she asked slowly. I knew she saw something but I also knew that she wanted to be sure. Just in case.

"He's a vampire hunter Alice." I said a bit impatient. "Sorry." I sighed. "It's just. Why didn't I see it coming Alice? Why didn't I read it in his mind?" she didn't answer because she knew I wasn't finished yet. "His family sprung from Van Helsing or even before him, I didn't even know that the stories about Dracula, or Van Helsing, were true. Not even if they were partially true. But well, truth is..I fell in love with my hunter." I finished, it was the longest sentence I had said since he told me the truth.

"Do you think he loves you back?" Alice asked. The question was ridiculous, he couldn't love me back, he trapped me, he had me fooled. He was the hunter and I was the prey. I was silent for a long time.

"No." I said. "It was a lie."

"Did he tell you he loved you?" she asked.

"Yes, not so long ago actually. That night when I got hit by a car, didn't Edward tell you?"

"Don't be ridiculous Jules, if you got hit by a car I would've seen it." She said. Something flashed through my mind, the image of that particular night. It stung.

"But you wouldn't because…" I started. "…I didn't get hit by a car." I spoke so slowly it irritated Alice.

"That's what I said." Alice said while folding her arms over her chest.

"No, no that's not what I meant Alice." I said "I think it was a werewolf trying to attack me."

"A werewolf? That's absurd. Carlisle took care of that years ago."

"But those weren't the only ones. Caleb's family..his uncle and his cousin. They're werewolves." I was talking more to myself than to Alice or Jasper.

"Do you really think?" Jasper asked.

"Otherwise Alice would've seen it." I told him. He nodded slowly and stood behind Alice, his hands on her shoulders trying to calm her down. It worked.

"Well that's a relief." She said, and I wondered how she could say something like that. "That my vision isn't failing me I mean." She explained. I suddenly felt sick. I had forgotten about my pain and worries while I found out what might have happened to me, but it all came back twice as hard.

"I'm gonna go." I said slowly as I turned leaving Alice and Jasper to debate on our new problem.

The next day I was delighted to go to school. I was planning on giving my everything during every class, so I would be entirely distracted for half the day. That way I only had half a day and a whole night to worry about. School went to fast. After school I searched for Edward, because I wanted to ask him for a ride. I saw him and Bella in front of one of the buildings. I walked towards them when my eye fell on a boy in the distance. I boy I never wanted to see again, and yet I longed for more than anything. Caleb Wade stood on the other side of the parking lot. It was like he was patiently waiting for me to come to him. I was scared so I practically run toward Edward and Bella. Scaring Bella in the process.

"I'm sorry." I said trying to sound casual. Edward heard my thoughts and looked over his shoulder to see Caleb. I could hear a soft growl from his throat.

"Hi, Bella." I said as merry as I could.

"Hey." She sounded happy, Bella was to both Edward and me an exception concerning our 'talent'. I didn't find it annoying at all, but Edward sometimes couldn't stand it.

"How have you been?" I asked politely, every now and then my eyes shifted between Caleb and Bella. But I tried to keep my attention on what Bella was telling me. And I could feel I was losing control over my breath.

"Good actually. Edward told me.." she didn't finish because someone joined us.

"Hey, Jules could I talk to you?" Caleb's hand touched my shoulder and he tried to turn me towards him but Edward turned and stood between us.

"No you can't." I could hear he wanted to sound as normal as possible. I looked at Bella who looked at Edward. She was probably wondering what was going on.

"You're on Forks High school grounds right now, so would you please leave? My sister has no interest in anything you have to say." I was grateful Edward did the talking because I was quite sure I couldn't say anything coherent at the moment.

"Come on." Edward took Bella's hand with his right hand en with his left he took my arm, we walked towards his car. Bella got in the car when Edward walked towards Caleb who was following us.  
"Juliette I'm sorry!"  
"Stop it." Edward said.  
"Juliette I need to talk to you, please listen!" Caleb yelled at me.  
"Shut up." Edward spoke calmly.  
"_Please_ believe me.." I couldn't bear hearing his voice anymore so I looked at Bella and tried to focus on her.  
"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm kind of…well…he broke my heart." I decided to say, I wasn't sure how to put it otherwise. And I was sure she would understand how I was feeling.

"I'm so sorry." She said, I tried to smile but my attempt was in vain. Bella was in the passenger seat and I opened the door to the back seat, not turning to look what was happening behind me. I could hear them, and I could hear Edward in my head telling me to get in the car.

"Keep away from her! If you ever, _ever _even try to hurt her you will hope you never got born. I will _never _forgive you for what you've done to her." I could hear Edward as he walked away to the Volvo I was safely inside. Caleb followed him. When Edward got in he looked through the window, his hands against the glass where my head had been leaning against. I shrank back and he mouthed the words "I love you." Edward started the car and drove away with an intense speed that made the tires squeak.

"So what did he do to break your heart?" Bella asked cautiously. Strangely I didn't mind her asking. Edward didn't want to tell her but I took no notice of his thoughts.

"I fell in love with him, that was the main problem." I started out.

"Why?" she asked sympathetic as she turned her head towards me.

"He's a vampire hunter." I told her, her eyes turned bigger and I immediately was sorry for telling her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you." I whispered.

"It's…okay." She whispered back, Edward's hand rested on her thigh.

"It's nothing to worry about, they know about our family, how we are and such." I tried to reassure her, but Edward was angry with me for telling her.

"I'm sorry you're hurt." Was all that Bella said just before she got to her home.

"Will you come over?" she asked Edward, I tried not to listen to their conversation because I considered it private but I couldn't help it while I was staring out of the window. It started to rain again.  
"Of course I will, I'll just have to get Juliette home first." Bella didn't say anything so I imagined she nodded before she walked to the front door of her house.

"I like her." I said.

"You shouldn't have scared her." Edward said and I could see his eyes in the mirror in front of the car.

"I'm sorry." I honestly meant it.

"I know."


	12. Monster

**I hope you ****like it. Enjoy. Please review. Thanks you all. **

**Chapter 11 – Monster**

At home I couldn't stop thinking about Caleb mouthing the words "I love you" when I was looking out of the window of Edward's Volvo. He seemed so sincere, he even thought it. Like purely and only thinking "I love you." The phone rang, I could see Alice dance toward it and she picked it up, I wondered if she already knew who it was.

"Alice Cullen speaking." Her voice sounded.

"Oh."

"Well she's home but I don't really know if she's interested in speaking with you." Alice whispered, she knew I could hear her, so why bother? Alice looked at me with questioning eyes, wondering if I wanted to talk to Caleb. I took a shot.

"Hello." I said, my voice sounded a little depressing, not as strong as I wanted it to sound.

"Jules, thank god." He exclaimed. "Please, don't hang up on me. I know I've hurt you. And I know you're probably scared to death but.."

"Damn right I am."

"But I love you."

"If you do, than please stay away from my family, and tell the same to your family."

"Okay. If you want me to." He said depressing and sincere.

"I do." I realized I was crying again.

"I'll never bother you again, but please know that I love you, and I always will." He almost whispered the words. Somewhere inside of me I didn't want him to give up on me, I wanted him to tell me that it was all a lie and that we could live happily ever after. I couldn't think of anything to say so I just hung up the phone feeling completely numb.

Everyday when it was dinner time at the Swan residence Edward came home for a little while. This time he walked into the living room with the biggest grin I had ever seen.

"What's the matter?" I asked when I put my copy of a book of poetry by Lord Byron aside.

"I'm going to ask Bella over this weekend." He said.

"What did she think of it?" I asked.

"Oh, she doesn't know yet. But she'll be thrilled. Knowing Bella she won't even be scared the littlest bit."

"That's nice." I could afford to smile a little.

"It sure is." He sat down in a chair besides mine and picked a book from the closet.

"I haven't read this one yet." He said, I could see he was surprised.

"That's because that one's knew. Caleb gave it to me ironically."

"I think I'm going to read it." Edward said quite seriously and I acted like I didn't care.

I managed to go to school the entire week, without one sign of me getting sick or anything. It was Saturday, the day Bella would come over and I could feel I was excited. Everyone was really. Carlisle had met her once in the hospital, when she almost got killed by a car accident at school. But Edward saved her, of course. Our hero. Everyone in our family supported Edward's and Bella's relationship, well except for Rosalie. She was having a hard time seeing Bella, all human and stuff and still wanting to be in the company of vampires. I found it somewhat ridiculous, but I could understand why she felt this way. Rosalie was special. Of course, neither of us liked to be turned into what we are know, or what they are and what I fail to be. The day quickly passed and I was upstairs in my room, singing along with a CD when I heard someone knock on my door.

"She's here." I heard the excited voice of Alice, I opened the door and found Jasper shaking his head because of Alice's adorable enthusiasm. Well, that's what he thought. Alice went downstairs and kissed Bella on the cheek. I didn't know what she had seen yet, but I would find out soon. There must be a reason why she was acting this way. Jasper kept his distance and he was kind of ashamed it was necessary. Bella was delighted to be at our home and things all went like it was completely normal. I got upstairs when Edward wanted to play the piano for Bella –Esme tricked him into it- and I could feel I was getting sick. I felt a fever coming up but I tried to ignore it. I was way too excited to let a fever ruin it.

We decided to play baseball that night. Well not me actually, I wasn't talented enough to play along but I liked looking. Bella would be there as well, and Esme wouldn't play along either, so I wouldn't get lonely.

"God Juliette, you're looking pale." Esme said when I walked by.

"Do I?" I knew very well I wasn't looking that great. Esme walked up to me and put her hand against my forehead.

"Are you feeling okay? You've got a fever. Should I ask Carlisle to take a look at you?" Esme, always worried and taking care of me.

"I'm fine. It's nothing really."

"You should stay in tonight."

"No! Please Esme, I want to come." I pleaded. I knew if she didn't want me to go, I wouldn't. She looked at me for a moment, then came to the conclusion as long as I could stand up straight by myself I could go and look at the game.

"Okay. But stay close to me, and tell me when it gets worse."

"I will."

The atmosphere had changed from really fun to gloomy in what seemed just seconds. Alice had announced that there were visitors coming. Vampire visitors, and not the vegetarian kind. They were curious as to how we lived and who we were she told us. They heard us play and wanted to join. Normally this would not have been the problem it was now. Edward quietly freaked out about the situation. Bella was here, her human scent was all around us, and it was good. Her scent would definitely catch their attention, and if they were hungry it couldn't be a good sign. I couldn't deny that Bella's scent was particularly good. Although I had trained myself over all these years not to crave human blood as much as I once did, some scents were more attractive than others, like Bella and Caleb's. I didn't realize for even one second that there lingered a hint of human scent around me. My scent. But that couldn't catch their attention could it?

Not much later the three strangers approached us, it was a strange situation. Edward tried to remind me to keep away from them as well, so they wouldn't mistake me for human. Carlisle walked towards the strangers and did the talking. He told them about his family and how we lived. Asking them to respect our way of living, and not to hunt in our territory. After that everything went really fast. It was all a blur to me because the fever did get worse, and I couldn't quite handle it any longer. We all got home and we all started to panic a little.

"He's a tracker, he won't let Bella go that easily. I could hear what his intentions where Carlisle! And they were far from good." Edward hissed at Carlisle, he didn't want to scare Bella but she was already scared although she would probably found out when she got out of Jasper's created calm atmosphere.

"I'm just gonna go…" I felt dizzy and could barely stand on my feet "upstairs.." nobody did really mind me. And I didn't want them to. They had to get Bella safe immediately. Esme followed me upstairs and got me into bed where the fever made me half unconscious and rattling about nothing. I didn't know what happened after that, but I hoped they could get Bella safe. Soon it turned darker and silent in the house.

It was not much later when I heard footsteps on the hallway. They made the wooden floor squeak and I could hear a click when someone opened the door of my room. I looked towards the strange figure standing at the other side of my room and I started to panic when I recognized him. It was a him. James to be exact. The one who was supposed to be tracking Bella. The one everyone tried to distract right now. He was here in my room. Probably for a snack before getting Bella. To make himself stronger before tracking Bella. He was convinced that he would get her anyway. This wouldn't take long he was thinking. He looked at me, I was gasping for air as the fever made it hard for me to respond to anything that was going on right now. He was wondering what I was, I smelled human like, but he could sense I wasn't totally human. It confused him. I was crying in panic. He walked towards my bed, the bed I couldn't get out of because of my weak body.

"So you're the boy's sister?" he grinned. "They won't be happy to find you after I'm done with you."

"No, please.." I was sure he was strong enough to kill me. There was no way I could survive what he was planning on doing to me.

"What are you anyway? A half-breed? I didn't know they existed. Or are you just covered by their scents and human after all? You sure smell good to me. And you know what, I'm hungry, I can't go tracking on an empty stomach can I?" My body didn't react to what my brains told it to do. I wanted to get out of bed and run. Finally my legs moved and I got out of bed. He stood in front of the door before I could open it. My legs weren't strong enough to stand any longer and it wasn't necessary as James walked towards me and threw me to the bed. I tried to struggle but he was too strong, his grip tightened around my wrist and I could hear the disgusting breaking sound. I cried in pain and I hoped that he would get it over with soon. I was scared to never see my family again. Then it happened I could feel his teeth in my neck. It hurt even more than when Carlisle bit me. This time it was too violent, to hard, to rough. I could hear him make strange, aggressive sounds when the wound started to burn and hurt so much I almost passed out. It was nice to pass out, I had a wonderful dream where James disappeared all of a sudden and I could feel a warm hand stroking my cheek. Then I realized, my heart was still beating and my eyes were open. Although my sight was blurred by the tears in my eyes I started to realize James had not killed me and that someone else, for some strange reason, had driven him away.

"It's okay. You're safe now. He's gone.." a familiar voice said. I looked to where the voice came from and saw to almost black eyes and dark brown hair in front of them. The gentle handsome face of Caleb hung over me.

"Caleb.." I cried and the pain took over me.

"Please don't kill me." I begged in a whisper.

"Take this.." he said holding a tiny bottle against my lips.

"What is it?"

"Antidote..hopefully it will work." He stroked my face and kissed my forehead, or so it seemed.

"The venom is already in my system. Twice as much.." I said hoarsely, I had to try my hardest to speak.

"I can at least try.." he said desperately. I couldn't believe he was here, when I needed him most he came to rescue me. He was my hero, was he not?

"Please Caleb, don't kill me.." I said not totally conscious anymore. And then all I could feel was burning pain all through my body. Again, like I had more than a hundred years ago, I had to go through the agonizing pain that the venom caused.


	13. Hearts stop beating

So, this is the next chapter for Hearts Stop Beating. I really do hope you like it, let me know. X

**Chapter 12 – ****Hearts Stop Beating**

It had been hours, but it seemed like an eternity. I was barely conscious, but conscious enough to notice that someone was holding my hand through it all. Several times I though I would crush it, the heavier the pain was, the harder I squeezed the hand that was holding mine. Caleb was by my side, holding my hand and talking to me. Although I couldn't make sense of the words. The burning was so intense it took hold of my entire body, even my brain. This was much worse, or was I only imagining that? I heard a strangely familiar sound that seemed to be so far away that I could never reach it. In truth, it was right behind me. The telephone was ringing.

"Caleb Wade." His voice pulled me back, he sounded calm.

I could hear a voice practically screaming through the phone.

"Keep away from her!" it was Alice, she must have seen what happened.

"Listen," Caleb sounded angry and impatient, "I'm here for her, and no one can take me away from her. Ever. Only she can tell me to go. She needs someone right now, and I'm not planning on abandoning her any time soon." I couldn't hear Alice's respond because she was talking at a much lower volume.

"I love her. Please trust me that I won't to her any harm. You can _see _that I won't do her any harm."

"Bella.." I could whisper somehow, Caleb asked me what I was talking about, I couldn't answer.

"She's trying to tell me something about some Bella.." He made some "hmm" and "yes" sounds and hung up. I cried out in pain, after which I tried to control myself.

"Esme's on her way, Carlisle has to take care of Bella first but he'll come whenever he can.." I didn't listen an it was clear to him that I did not hear what he was saying.

"Honey look at me.." no response.

"Juliette. Look at me!" his voice was stern but worried at the same time. I turned my head and tried to keep my eyes focused on his face.

"I'm here. And Esme's coming. You're not alone." He took my face in his warm hands and I realized how cold I was, how hard it was to breath, how my heart was hurting, fighting to keep beating.

"Bella?" I asked again, I knew what James could have done to her, he did it to me, and in her case it could even be worse.

"It's been hours since he fled and…he got to Bella, Jules." He said slowly.

"Is she…" I groaned when pain stung through my ribs. "okay?"

"She's on her way to the hospital, she'll be okay. Your sister didn't tell me anything else. Now don't worry about anything but yourself for a moment." He stroked my hair and his thumb was stroking the back of my hand.

"The..antidote.." I groaned.

"It's not working. I'm sorry..you should have been feeling better..I don't understand.."

It was silent for a moment, there was a tension in my room I had never experienced before. I felt scared, like there was danger all around me, but I also never felt more protected in my life. Suddenly it was like the room was filled with cold, freezing air. My body started to shiver which only made the pain worse. I was sure that I was dying, this time it would go the way it was supposed to.

"I'm so cold.." I whispered, there seemed to be a moment of numbness. Like the pain stopped to make it easier for me to talk. Caleb looked at me, suddenly his eyes were anxious and sad.

"No Jules.." he whispered while shaking his head more times than normal. "No.." he climbed onto my bed, lifting me up his lap and cradling me in his arms. He was trying to keep me warm. I could feel his warm body around me, his warm breath on my forehead while I leaned against his chest. But it didn't warm me, it was like it couldn't reach me.  
"Cold.." I whispered again.

"Juliette no. You're slipping away. Fight it, you have done it before! You can't turn into one of them Jules…you're human. You're the most incredible creature in the universe, you can't be changed…" I smiled slightly, sighing in the progress and then the pain returned. Not through my whole body though. There was this pounding in my chest. My heart felt like it was going to explode and suddenly…it stopped. I wasn't cold any longer but the pain returned, I wasn't ready yet. I had to be made into a monster and I was only halfway ready. My body had surrendered to the venom, the venom only had to take the rest of my body. The parts that weren't cold enough, the parts where it wasn't hard enough. It was strange, feeling my heart stop and it was like I wasn't even dead. I could feel, hear, smell, breathe. The pain was overwhelming again, the venom marching through my body like soldiers. They had defeated their enemy but still had to take over the country. I could feel Caleb moving back and forth, trying to comfort me as well as himself. I was dead. I was a monster. Hearts really do stop beating.

I didn't now how much time passed, but I could hear someone else in the room.

"Oh god." Esme. Esme was crying and almost fell beside my bed while she was trying to sit down.

"Juliette dear.." she was stroking my hair when suddenly she pulled her hands back so quickly it almost startled me. "She's one of us?" she almost sounded surprised. Caleb was staring out of my huge window, there was to much light, it hurt my eyes.

"He made her one of you." He sounded disgusted.

It was halfway the second day that Carlisle arrived at my room. Caleb hadn't left since I was attacked by James.

"Esme said you refused to leave, so I brought you something to eat." Carlisle's voice broke the silence in my room.

"That's very kind of you. Thanks." Caleb let go of my hand for a while, the smell of human food was appalling.

"Jules, can you hear me?" Carlisle voice sounded so worried it would've broken my heart if I had one that was whole. I nodded my head.

"How long has it been?" he asked Caleb.

"A day and a half." He sounded broken.

"You can't stay here much longer." Carlisle said in a apologetic tone. "I don't know how she'll react on humans after this.."

"She's strong. She'll resist." Caleb said.

"We don't know that." Carlisle spoke calmly but I knew he was hoping the same. We all were. I was hoping that the past century had given me enough discipline, that I wouldn't long as much for blood, like I did before James attacked me. I had longed for blood the same any newborn vampire did when Carlisle tried to change me, and I hoped that was in my advantage this time. That it would take less time to be that way again.

"Caleb," Carlisle continued "I know how you feel about her, about my _daughter_." Carlisle put so much love in the word that it seemed to ease the pain for a short moment.

"We all know. There are talented ones within our family, and they have told me that you won't abandon her, that you will be her for her. So it's only fair to prepare you for what's coming." Carlisle sat down on the end of my bed.

"She will leave in two days. To go to the Denali coven in Alaska. I'm hoping she will recover soon." It was somehow funny he chose the word 'recover'.

"In the meanwhile you must promise me you won't try and keep contact with her. She needs to learn how to deal with being a vampire. Things will change for her. But when she comes back, we'll tell you immediately of course"

"Can't I go with her?"

"I'm sorry, you can't. She can put you in danger. And it would break her if she would ever do anything to a human, especially you."

"Will she change?" Caleb asked, he put aside his dinner and held my hand again, this time with more strength. I couldn't talk anymore, only listen.

"I doubt it. She's much to stubborn to be changed. She might find it harder to be around you, but she'll learn in time."

"Dr. Cullen?" Caleb's voice sounded insecure, something I had never heard before.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry about my family. They won't bother you though, I've told them how you live, and they know about me and Juliette and.."

"Do they approve of you and Juliette?" Carlisle asked trying to hide his astonishment.

"Well..no. My father was killed by a vampire, we've lost many to your kind, so it's not exactly…normal to fall in love with one of you but..I will keep them from hurting your family. Even if it's the last thing I do."

"You're and extraordinary young man, Caleb Wade. And this isn't only my family…it's yours now too."


	14. Starcrossed lovers

**Chapter 13 – Star-crossed lovers**

"I have to take a look at her now, that broken wrist isn't going to heal that well when it stays in that angle." Carlisle said to Caleb, it was then that I started to focus on my wrist, I tried to look at it. My vision was blurred but I could see that my hand was in an angle it couldn't possible be in when not broken. It looked surreal but it didn't hurt as much as the venom did.

"Could you please ask Esme to get my equipment from my study, she'll know what to bring me." Carlisle continued.

"But.." Caleb sputtered.

"She will be here when you come back. And you would be extremely helpful if.."

"Of course." Caleb interrupted as he left the room.

Carlisle put my arm in the right position to heal. The venom would do the rest of the work after that. Carlisle cleaned my bed from the blood and Esme tried to put me in other clothes, which was hard because I was fighting the pain with a lot of movement. After that I could feel that the longing for blood was coming slowly. The scent of Caleb in my room didn't make it any easier. But I wanted him to stay, I wanted to force myself to resist. I could do this. There was no need for me to go to Denali. Or so I wished.

I knew it was the third day because Carlisle became restless. He came in too often. Too check on me, and to check on how I was reacting on Caleb in the room. But when the door opened for the fifth time in what I suppose was half an hour there was someone else barging in.

Edward.

He did not even notice Caleb sitting right beside me. He raged in and kneeled down beside my bed taking my hand and squeezing it too hard.

"Jules I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." I sighed in pain.

"I'm sorry he got to you, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, I'm sorry I wasn't there when the pain started, I'm the worst brother anyone could ever imagine. I have failed Jules..I promised mother I would keep you safe, that you wouldn't be harmed."

"I think she would forgive you." I tried to smile a little but it must have looked like a scary grimace, at least that's what he was thinking. I realized I could hear him thinking, I hadn't heard anyone's thoughts for two days.

"She wouldn't. I don't deserve it."

"How's Bella?" I changed the subject just before the pain got worse again.

"I will tell you when you're fit enough to remember it later." He smiled gently and stroked my forehead. "Shall I stay? Do you want me to?" when he stood up to take a chair he finally saw Caleb. His face turned dark for a moment but he quickly restored it into a gentle mask.

"Thank you for saving her." He finally said before he left. Caleb had told him in silence that he would take care of me and that Edward should go back to Bella.

"Caleb?" Carlisle came in but Caleb was asleep for the first time in two days, he must have been exhausted. Then he turned to me.

"Juliette, it's time to say goodbye." He said with regretful eyes.

"No please..I can handle it."

"You don't want to put him in danger, do you?" I thought about that for a second, did I put him in danger? Was there any risk that I might hurt him? I was painfully ashamed when I knew the answer. I didn't know whether I could control myself in his presence. He woke up Caleb and told him the same. Caleb stood up and walked towards the bed.

"I'll leave you to it." Carlisle said while leaving the room with hurt in his eyes.

"Do you really have to go?" Caleb asked. I nodded my head.

"I'm going for you. So you'll be safe. And so I can learn to deal with this..so that one day I can come back."

"Do you promise that Jules?" his voice sounded desperate as if he really thought I would leave him for good, not caring about whether he was waiting for me or not. He was so wrong. My feelings for him were only growing stronger and deeper. Finally I nodded my head again.

"I love you." He stroked my cheek over and over again, his hand felt warm, it was comfortable. I looked into his dark eyes for a moment and tried to forget the pain to be able to enjoy this moment. Who knew when I was to see him again?

"I love you too." I whispered, holding back the tears. This wasn't goodbye, this was 'see you soon'.

"I-I..I can come with you. Wherever you go, I'll go with you." He said softly.

"And what? Live in a house full of vampires and me trying to kill you? I'm leaving for you. And there are some things I have to deal with."

"What things?" he asked, he was like a little child afraid to be abandoned.

"Edward and I were raised differently from how people are raised now.." I sighed and tried to fight the venom in my body, regardless. "..Religion is a very important factor in our lives, although we don't show it but..it's hard for me to accept what I've become Caleb.." I started to cry while I was so desperately trying not to.

"You're the same. You're still Juliette. You're still funny, sweet, intelligent and beautiful Juliette." He whispered.

"You have to go." I said after I cried out in pain.

"I will wait for you." He said solemnly.

"And I will come back."


	15. I'll tear myself away

I've decided that this is the last chapter of Hearts Stop Beating. But the story will go on, I'm planning on writing a sequel called Hope for the Hopeless. I hoped you liked the story of Juliette this far, and I hope you're willing to accompany her on her journey through the rest of it all. Thank you all so much for reading, you're all lovely! 

**Chapter 14 – I'll tear myself away**

All of a sudden the pain was over. I sat on my bed, hugging my knees and staring into nothingness. I could feel the hunger and I could feel I was fighting it. I didn't have the courage to look into the mirror, afraid my eyes where red. Or even worse, black. That's when Carlisle entered the room. 

"Juliette..Edward and I will take you to Denali. Esme wants to go to, but she asked me if that was alright with you.." I looked at my father and I couldn't understand why his venom wasn't able to turn me into the monster that James's venom had turned me into. Did it change anything? 

"It's alright." I was surprised I was able to speak normally. 

"Shall I help you get your belongings?" he asked. I shook my head. 

"I'll take care of it myself." I could hear his thoughts and they hurt me, he was trying to figure out how far lost I was. If I would tear the place apart or not. 

I started to pack mostly music. Clothes didn't matter much to me any more. I had always loved to go shopping with Alice, but it all seemed so useless now. Finally I had the guts to look at myself in the mirror. My eyes where a strange color, as if they were still deciding whether they should stay golden or turn red. It seemed like a very dark orange color, definitely more red than they should be. When my bag was packed I started to walk downstairs. In the living room I found Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all sitting on sofa's or chairs. They pretended not to see me immediately but I knew they had been waiting for me. Alice got up first and walked towards me, Jasper right behind her.  
She pulled me into an embrace and whispered to my hair: "It will be alright, you'll be back soon." She pulled away and looked at me, she nodded her head once, as if to confirm it. After Alice, Jasper embraced me. I could feel myself turning calm, even the hunger disappeared for a very short time. I was so grateful for Jasper to do that. Then he looked at me. 

"You're different from the other newborns Jules. Just know, that I believe you're strong enough to fight it. Come back soon, I'll miss walking with you." He smiled the most tiny smile and went back to Alice. Emmett got up and started walking toward me like a big bear.  
"Don't you forget us over there in Denali little sister." He tried to smile but I could see he really wasn't good at it right now. He hugged me and messed up my hair with his huge hand before he sat down on the stairs. Rosalie walked towards me, she smiled, studying my face. She stroked my cheek briefly. 

"You'll get even prettier." She smiled, this was Rosalie's way of saying everything would be alright "and stronger. You're strong Juliette, they'll help you, but you can overcome this. We'll all miss you. I'll keep an eye on that boy of yours, just in case." She said, she didn't hug me but kissed my forehead instead. Edward came in through the front door, his face was hurt when he saw me. I looked like a mess according to his thoughts. 

"Are you ready?" he asked holding out his arm and taking my hand. I nodded slowly. Esme and Carlisle were outside in the car. 

The entire way I had stared out of the window, the landscapes passing us by were like a blur to me. I could only focus on the grey rainy sky. That sky was me somehow, crying. I couldn't cry, I had not cried since Caleb had left. Caleb, the memory of his hurt face stung. I didn't know how long we had to drive, I didn't even notice if we had stopped between Forks and Denali but I did notice when we were there. Because Edward took my hand and squeezed it. We were in front of the house that was very similar to ours in a way. Tanya was waiting for me at the door, but she gave us enough time to say goodbye. For now. 

Esme cried and hugged me, kissing my hair and telling me everything would be alright soon. 

"You'll be home soon." She said before she let go and Carlisle took me in his arms. 

"I'm so sorry Juliette. I should've protected you better. Please forgive me, in time." 

"Dad, it's not your fault." I said, feeling numb, trying to hide my real feelings even to myself. Lastly Edward came to me. This time I put my arms around him, in the past it had been hard for us being apart. There was something that connected vampire twins intensely. That's why I could feel if he was happy or not, and the other way around. 

"I hate him so much, for doing this to you." He hissed. "Come back soon Jules." The rest was said in thoughts, 

_I love you. I've always been able to take care of you, protect you, but I couldn't, I can't anymore. I'm sorry for that. But please do know I will never, ever, let something happen to you again. I promise. I'll keep Caleb updated on how you're doing, please call me anytime, I will answer.  
_They were already in the car by the time Edward thought that last part. I looked at the car, slowly driving away. I had never felt so alone. 

"It get's easier." Tanya said behind me, her hand on my shoulder trying to convince me to get inside. I didn't believe her but it was my only hope, I was in Denali, away from my family for an unknown time, away from my true love; _It get's easier. _


End file.
